Scientific: Psilostrophe cooperi
Common: white stem paperflower, Cooper's paperflower
Family: Asteraceae
Origin: Southwest United States (California, Nevada, Utah,
Arizona, and New Mexico) and northern Mexico in washes and gravely hillsides, at
2,000 to 5,000 feet in elevation.
Pronounciation: Psi-lo-STRO-fe COO-per-i
Hardiness zones
Sunset 11-13
USDA 8-11
Landscape Use: Desert landscape and/or rock gardens or dry meadows, flowering accent for desert gardens. Great in smaller spaces in close proximity to close inspection; nice dried flower blossoms turn papery and keep their yellow color.
Form & Character: Erect and spreading = rounded, bushy, cheerful, delicate.
Growth Habit: Evergreen, short-lived mostly herbaceous perennial subshrub, moderate growth rate to 2 feet in
height spreading to 2 feet in width.
Foliage/Texture: Thin almost linear grayish leaves to 2-inches long,
sessile; medium fine texture.
Flowers & Fruits: Flowers profusely on terminal stalks, 8- to 12-inches long;
flowers 5-petaled and open faced, fruit inconspicuous.
Seasonal Color: Yellow blooms throughout most of the year, more heavily
in spring and fall. Flowers are persistent on the plant, thus the common name
paper flower.
Temperature: Tolerant
Light: Full sun
Soil: Tolerant, except needs good drainage.
Watering: Irrigate infrequently during summer to maintain robust
appearance.
Pruning: Lightly head back during late summer or fall.
Propagation: Seed
Disease and Pests: None
Additional comments: White stem paperflower is a surprisingly tough and
consistent grower in xeric garden situations. Psilostrophe tagetina (wooly paper
flower) is very similar in appearance, but has somewhat ovate to lanceolate shaped leaves
giving it a slightly coarser textural appearance.
Toxicity warning: As
range plants, Psilostrope species are toxic to livestock, especially sheep. The toxic agent is a
sesquiter-pene lactone. Plants are generally more toxic when young that when mature.